Elliot Kim
Insects make a variety of sounds, from chirps to rattles, and lisps to zips. The songs of insects are often unique to the species, and learning to identify them can be a fun challenge. With practice, it is possible to identify many insects by ear, but there are also technological tools that can assist in this process. Insect sounds can be identified through the use of apps, software, and online databases.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Basic Terminology | Zit, Tsip, Lispy Trill, Rattle |
| Singing Insects | Crickets, Katydids, Grasshoppers, Cicadas |
| Insect Sounds | Chirp, Click, Zip, Rattle, Lisp |
| Insect Identification Apps | iNaturalist, Picture This, BirdNET, Seek, Cicada Hunt |
| Insect Sound Websites | Songs of Insects, Insect Sound World, National Center for Physical Acoustics Insect Sounds |
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What You'll Learn
Insect sounds: chirps, clicks, zips, rattles, and lisps
Insect songs are a prominent element of summer and early fall in most of North America. Insects like crickets, katydids, grasshoppers, and cicadas produce a variety of sounds, including chirps, clicks, zips, rattles, and lisps.
Chirps
Crickets typically produce musical chirps that are short, pure-toned sounds composed of one or more syllables, with each chirp followed by a brief period of silence. The timing of chirps can vary between different cricket species, such as the Tinkling and Allard's Ground Crickets, which sing at similar frequencies but with distinct chirping rates.
Rattles
Rattles are commonly associated with katydids, which produce a series of harsh notes strung together. The Meadow Katydid, for instance, is known for its dry, swishy rattles.
Lisps
Lisps are characteristic of many katydid species. The Counting Katydid, for example, adds one to three lisps with each song, never counting higher than four.
Clicks
Insects like the wheat stem sawfly larvae produce audible clicks as they move and feed within plants.
Zips
While the term "zip" is not explicitly mentioned in the sources, some insects, like mosquitoes, produce high-frequency wingbeats that could be perceived as a zipping sound.
To identify insects by these sounds, one can use resources like insect sound websites, sound spectrograms, and mobile applications. Websites like "Songs of Insects" provide guides and samples of insect songs for identification. Sound spectrograms, which visualize insect sounds, can be compared to known species to confirm identification. Additionally, apps like iNaturalist, Picture This, and BirdNET may be useful for uploading recordings and identifying insects based on sound.
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Insect song identification: pure-toned vs harsh
Insect song identification is a challenging but fun task. The songs of insects are a prominent element of summer and early fall in most of North America. These insects chirp, click, zip, rattle, and lisp from various habitats, sometimes even inside our homes.
The first step in identifying an insect song is to determine whether the song is pure-toned or harsh. Pure-toned songs are typically produced by crickets, ground crickets, tree crickets, trigs, and mole crickets. These songs are often described as melodic trills or chirps. On the other hand, harsh songs are usually associated with katydids and grasshoppers. Katydids produce high-pitched raspy squawks, buzzes, and shuffles, while grasshoppers create crackling or buzzing sounds by snapping their wings together.
To further distinguish between these two groups, listen for distinct sounds and patterns. For example, katydids make short, staccato "zit" sounds, brief, fuzzy "tsip" notes, and long series of lispy syllables called "lispy trills." They also create a "rattle," which is a long series of harsh notes. Grasshoppers, on the other hand, may produce a quieter, shuffling sound by stridulating with their hind legs against their closed wings.
With practice, you can identify many insect species by ear. However, some closely related species sound very similar, and for precise identification, you may need to record the sounds and refer to advanced guides or use sound spectrograms for comparison. These graphical representations of sound allow you to examine the fine structure of individual notes. Software programs such as Audacity, Raven Lite, and Raven Pro can assist in producing these spectrograms. Additionally, online resources like "The Songs of Insects" offer audio samples of various insect songs for comparison.
Furthermore, there are some apps and websites that can aid in insect sound identification. For instance, the Picture This extended app family includes a version for insects, allowing for free identification through uploaded images. Another option is to upload recordings to iNaturalist, where researchers will identify the insect for you. Additionally, ChatGPT can identify insects down to their genus and species when provided with an audio recording and additional information like time of day and location.
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Insect sound spectrograms
To create a spectrogram, it is important to start with a high-quality recording as the clearer the field recording, the clearer the spectrogram. While the Raven software works best with digital files that are mono, 22kHz sampling rate, and 16-bit word length, it is recommended to record at the highest rate achievable and then downsample the files before loading them into Raven.
When comparing spectrograms, it is important to use the same "window" type and size for each spectrogram. Small changes in these parameters can significantly affect the appearance and clarity of the graphical display. For example, the Allard's and Tinkling Ground Crickets sing at roughly 7.5 kHz, but the timing of their chirps differs, with Tinkling having about half the rate of Allard's.
Spectrograms are useful tools for identifying the types of insects calling in an area. Although each species of singing insect has its own unique song, it can be challenging to automatically select these songs from the spectrogram using software. In addition, factors such as air temperature can influence the frequency of insect songs, making it more difficult to identify specific species.
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Insect identification apps
Insect identification by sound is a challenging and fun task. The high-pitched songs of insects like crickets, katydids, grasshoppers, and cicadas are a common feature of summer and early fall in North America. These insects produce a variety of sounds, from chirps to rattles, and can be found in various habitats, including trees, shrubs, and even inside homes.
While there are limited options for apps that specifically identify insects by sound, there are several insect identification apps available that utilize images and other data. One popular app is iNaturalist, which can identify insects, plants, and animals. The app uses audio recordings, physical location, habitat type, and other data to make identifications. Another app, ObsIdentify, has been praised for its accuracy in identifying insects from images, including hoverflies and bush-crickets. It is user-friendly and provides a wealth of additional information.
Some other apps that have been mentioned in online forums include Picture Insect, which performed well in a comparison test, and Seek by iNaturalist, which can identify plants, animals, and fungi. Picture This is another app that has extended versions for different organisms, including insects.
For those interested in identifying insects by sound, there are some alternative options. One method is to record the sound and upload it to ChatGPT, which can identify insects down to the genus and species. Additionally, direct comparisons of sound spectrograms of unknown insects with known species can help with identification, and software like Raven can assist in creating these spectrograms. While not an app, the website Songs of Insects provides a beginner's guide to insect song identification, teaching users to differentiate between pure-toned and harsh sounds to quickly narrow down the insect family.
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Insect sound databases
- Scapteriscus vicinus mole cricket scraping sounds
- Movement and feeding sounds of insects in plants, such as the Cephus cinctus (wheat stem sawfly) larva
- Wing vibration sounds, including those of the Aedes taeniorynchus (salt marsh mosquito) and Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito)
- General movement and stridulation sounds of fire ants
- Crickets, katydids, and cicadas
Additionally, the website Songs of Insects offers a beginner's guide to song identification, providing basic terminology and tips for identifying singing insects. It highlights the distinction between the pure-toned songs of crickets and the harsher songs of katydids, which can help narrow down identification.
Other resources for insect sound identification include the Bug Bytes Insect Sound Library & Database, which offers recordings of insects like the Reticulitermes flavipes (Eastern subterranean termite). There are also mobile applications like iNaturalist, Picture This, and iRecord Grasshoppers that can be used to identify insects by uploading recordings or providing additional data.
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Frequently asked questions
You can identify insects by their sounds by comparing the sound spectrograms of an unknown singer with those of known species. You can also listen out for the timing of the sounds, whether they come in a short series or a long continuous trill, and whether they are harsh or mellow.
Yes, there are several apps that can help with insect identification through sound. These include iNaturalist, Cicada Hunt, Seek by iNaturalist, and Picture This.
Some common sounds made by insects include chirping, clicking, zipping, rattling, and lisping. The songs of insects can also be described as pure-toned or harsh. Crickets, katydids, grasshoppers, and cicadas are known for their high-pitched songs.
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